African Gray vs Extra White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, African Gray belongs to the grey family and Extra White to the white family. Extra White (LRV 86) reflects noticeably more light than African Gray (LRV 31), a difference of 55 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 32.0, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
African Gray vs Extra White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing African Gray and Extra White in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than African Gray would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than African Gray.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Extra White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than African Gray.
Color Details
African Gray vs Extra White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see African Gray on one side and Extra White on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More African Gray comparisons
See how African Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
